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FFAR award amount $1,997,454
Year Awarded 2021
Total award amount $3,997,423
Location Minneapolis, MN
Matching Funders Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Cargill, Friends of the Mississippi River, Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, NORI, Pipeline Foods, The Land Institute, Walton Family Foundation
Summer crops such as wheat, rice, and corn can be profitable for farmers, but post-harvest farmland is unproductive for several months during the off-season. Fallow land can accumulate a variety of water-related challenges, including soil nutrient loss and erosion and precipitation runoff. However, continuous living cover crops can prevent these challenges and maintain land in the off-seasons. The University of Minnesota is developing models for sustainable supply chains that create markets for crops farmers can grow between seasons.
FFAR award amount $900,000
Year Awarded 2020
Total award amount $3,272,723
Location Berkeley, CA
Matching Funders 2Blades Foundation, Innovative Genomics Institute
Program Seeding Solutions
There are millions of Americans who do not know where their next meal comes from. To combat food insecurity, Feeding America is evaluating the effect of the Regional Produce Cooperative, a model that provides a greater variety of produce to food banks at a lower cost, on the charitable food system.
FFAR award amount $748,549
Total award amount $1,497,098
Location Ames, IA
Matching Funders Iowa State University, KWS SAAT SE & Co, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, BASF, SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC and RAGT
On average, it takes farmers ten years to produce a new crop. With an increasing global population, there is high demand for more crops sooner. Iowa State University researchers are developing breeding methods that accelerate plant breeding for multiple crop species. These breeding techniques deliver improved crop varieties – with greater yields – into the hands of farmers sooner.
Total award amount $100
Location Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Delbruck Building, 1 Bungtown Road
Matching Funders Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Dr. Zachary Lippman was awarded the 2020 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture for his work to increase crop productivity in the face of declining agricultural land and population growth through novel gene editing techniques.
FFAR award amount $15,000
Total award amount $30,000
Location University of Missouri
Matching Funders Bayer
Gene discovery is crucial to developing next-generation crops. Yet, the majority of collective research is focused on a subset of genes, not due to their importance, but due to human biases in how we conduct science and discover genes. Whitt is creating an unbiased gene selection method for genome wide association studies.
FFAR award amount $10,000
Total award amount $20,000
Location Pennsylvania State University
Matching Funders PASA
Switchgrass is a leading biofuel feedstock for the emerging bio-economy. Soil microbes play a critical role in crop health and yield. Sutherland is leveraging deep-learning computational methods to improve breeding lines of switchgrass for desirable traits relevant to the US bioenergy market.
FFAR award amount $97,500
Total award amount $195,000
Location University of Maryland, College Park
Matching Funders Inari; Syngenta
Population growth, climate change and decreases in arable farmland increases the need for productive and resilient crop varieties. Conventional breeding approaches to increase yields of major crops, such as rice and maize, cannot keep pace with the speed of change. Sretenovic is developing precise genome editing technologies in plants to meet global needs.
FFAR award amount $70,000
Total award amount $140,000
Location North Carolina State University
Matching Funders BASF
Plant tissue culture and transformation is a critical step for plant breeding. Given its many advantages, such as long life, energy efficiency, low radiated heat and reliability, LED lighting is the future for plant tissue culture and transformation. Yet, little is known about the impact of LED lighting on the process. Shi is examining the effect of LED lighting intensity and spectrum on plant tissue culture and transformation.
Matching Funders Corteva
Bt crops, also known as bacillus thuringiensis, are a genetically modified bacteria that naturally produces toxins to protect crops from pests. Resistance evolution by insects threatens the success of Bt crops. Pezzini is studying the resistance of Helicoverpzea, a globally threatening pest, to Bt toxins expressed in corn. This research combines insect behavior and genetic data to evaluate the development of resistance.
Location Tuskegee University
Matching Funders Tuskegee University
Cowpea is a nutritious commercial crop that contributes significantly to the global economy. Devastating viral diseases in cowpea threatens global food security and impacts the economy. Mweta is investigating the resistance of organically grown cowpea to viral diseases to determine efficient crop management strategies.
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